Terranora Public School Annual Report

Transcription

1 Terranora Public School Annual Report Page 1 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

2 Introduction The Annual Report for 2016 is provided to the community of Terranora Public School as an account of the school's operations and achievements throughout the year. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding. Mr James Hackett Principal School contact details Terranora Public School 650 Terranora Rd Terranora, terranora-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au Page 2 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

3 School background School vision statement At Terranora Public School we believe in Care and Excellence within an inclusive environment so that students reach their true potential and become confident, creative individuals who are prepared to embrace 21st Century changes to build our community for today and tomorrow. School context Terranora Public School stands poised on the rim of the escarpment overlooking the Terranora Broadwater and the South Pacific Ocean to Surfers Paradise. The school has an enrolment of 460 students offering a rich and varied educational program combining academic, sporting, cultural and social opportunities. These provide strong foundations on successful, diverse programs. Terranora Public School has a far reaching reputation for care and excellence. The school s academic achievement has been recognised within the school and the wider community. Our exceptional teaching staff encourage high expectations and success in learning for every student. Our student population is well supported by parents and community. Terranora Public School is part of the Aurora Learning Community (Banora Point High School, Centaur Public School, Terranora Public School) and encourages middle school years to participate in transition to year 7 programs offered by Banora Point High School. Self-assessment and school achievement Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self assessment using the School Excellence Framework, school achievements and the next steps to be pursued. This year, our school undertook self assessment using the School Excellence Framework. The framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. The school s on balance judgment for the elements of Learning, Teaching and Leading this year were primarily at the delivering stage, with some elements of sustaining and growing being marked as towards achieving. This year, teachers in the school have been working together on the teaching element of collaborative practice. Teachers are building stronger professional relationships through the school s focus on generative dialogue, collegial observations and the giving and receiving of effective feedback by experts from outside of the school. Staff have identified that the school is almost achieving at sustaining and growing for this element and as such, further professional learning and dialogue will continue in this area saw the continuation of L3 training for kindergarten teachers and the introduction of L3 training for year one teachers. The school's continued professional learning and dialogue around the use of literacy and numeracy continuums has seen an improvement in the tracking of student growth and the setting of individual learning goals for students. These initiatives have contributed to the school working towards an on balance judgement of sustaining and growing in various areas within the teaching and learning areas identified in the School Excellence Framework. This year, the welfare committee have been working on the development and implementation of an updated behaviour policy that focuses on rewarding positive behaviour and the re assessment of the school's current discipline policy. The implementation of this new policy in 2017 will be measured against the learning area of well being with the aim to achieving an on balance judgement of sustaining and growing. Our self assessment process will assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in our School Plan, leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students. For more information about the School Excellence Framework: the department/our reforms/school excellence framework Page 3 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

4 Strategic Direction 1 Empowering a learning environment that engages successful literacy learners Purpose To provide the skills and knowledge associated with successful teaching and learning in relation to literacy skills and knowledge. To ensure all students are engaged in the learning environment to achieve academic success as lifelong learners. Overall summary of progress Milestones for 2016 are all on track. L3 implementation has moved into year one with teachers undergoing training, implementation, data entry and reflection in relation to the program. Literacy resources have been purchased to complement classroom programs. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) ES1 and Stage 1 teachers demonstrate effective implementation of L3 practices which are measured through collaborative approaches involving L3 training, peer observation and personal reflection. Students targeted for LaST support demonstrate improvement of at least one band above expected growth within pre and post tests. Progress achieved this year All early stage one teachers are in the ongoing professional learning process and are demonstrating consistent judgement in relation to the literacy continuum. Two early stage one teachers are certified in L3. Teachers are implementing L3 practices in kindergarten and year one classes which is monitored and reflected upon through collaborative approaches involving observations and reflective practices. 90% of targeted students achieved growth of at least two band levels above expected growth in reading. Funds Expended (Resources) Literacy/Numeracy Funds Training/Relief/Resources for L3 $ Resources purchased for literacy $ Next Steps Terranora Public School is developing an updated one year school plan in The plan will continue to focus on literacy and numeracy and is guided by both the School Excellence Framework and the achievements and learning derived from this current school plan Page 4 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

5 Strategic Direction 2 Personalised learning for every child driven by caring and professional teachers Purpose In order to achieve the personal best of students, teachers as leading learners will work collaboratively to develop expertise to enable them to support and develop the whole child. Student learning and assessment involves developing student capacity and confidence with: engagement; self concept; learning; academics; social and emotional wellbeing and; citizenship. Overall summary of progress Milestones set for 2016 are all on track. Positive feedback has been received from community, staff and students regarding the strong, solid partnerships that have been developed. The Learning Support Team have run professional learning sessions throughout the year and this will been ongoing. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) Individual targeted LaST intervention relating to Multi Lit resulting in growth of at least six reading levels. 100% of teachers utilising and implementing the school's processes for creating student profiles utilising the adjustment register along with PLPs and IEPs. Progress achieved this year Students targeted for Multi Lit program showed growth of at least six reading levels. Students targeted for Multi Lit program became more independent in all areas of literacy. Successful professional learning sessions were run by Learning Support Team members throughout the year. Processes and procedures were monitored closely and evaluated throughout the year. Funds Expended (Resources) Next Steps Terranora Public School is developing an updated one year school plan in The plan will focus on care and excellence relating to student welfare and is guided by both the School Excellence Framework and the achievements and learning derived from this current school plan Page 5 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

6 Strategic Direction 3 Effective and collaborative community partnerships promoting care and excellence Purpose Positive learning outcomes for students will be achieved by building effective and collaborative partnerships to support quality professional learning, parental engagement and links with other community organisations. Terranora Public School belongs to a number of communities. Students need strong partnerships to exist within these communities to develop resilience. Relationships will be strengthened through creating a greater number of opportunities to be involved with student learning. These opportunities will include greater parent involvement with school based experiences, strengthening of links between the classroom and home, developing strong professional partnerships and links with local preschools and local schools. Overall summary of progress Milestones set for 2016 are all on track. Positive feedback has been provided by the community, staff and students of Terranora Public School. There has been a significant increase in the use of electronic means of communication, particularly with all meetings being minuted through Sentral as well as the use of Facebook and Skoolbag. Progress towards achieving improvement measures Improvement measures (to be achieved over 3 years) Increase the use of technology via electronic means (Sentral, Facebook, Skoolbag) to strengthen communication across the school. Increased involvement in P & C and community based initiatives. Progress achieved this year Feedback from teachers indicates that there has been an increase in both transparency and open communication. Positive feedback given by staff, students and the community in relation to electronic forms of communication. Increased levels of usage of both Facebook and Skoolbag. Increased community involvement by including community representatives in the school planning process. Funds Expended (Resources) Next Steps Terranora Public School is developing an updated one year school plan in The plan will focus on creating effective staff collaborative practices and is guided by both the School Excellence Framework and the achievements and learning derived from this current school plan Page 6 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

7 Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual) Aboriginal background loading English language proficiency Low level adjustment for disability Quality Teaching, Successful Students (QTSS) Programs this year provided for both Indigenous and non Indigenous students to develop knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture and histories specific to the local Bundjalung nation. Programs where delivered by local Indigenous peoples recommended by the AECG and allowed for authentic and culturally sensitive experiences. Students experienced art, dance, music and traditions of the local Bundjalung people. Identified Indigenous students were supported to participate in extra curricular activities through attending excursions and camps. These included singing in the national choir at the Sydney Opera House and visiting Canberra to learn about our nation s government, war time heroes and visit the national museum. EALD students were provided with a specialist teacher aid who supported their learning in relation to literacy, numeracy and classroom rules and routines. Students improved their understanding of school expectations and routines, showing they could follow classroom teacher instructions and complete work assigned. Teachers gained an understanding of how to make adjustments to ensure students from EALD backgrounds were likely to be successful learners. Assistive technology was trialled and utilised for students with identified additional learning needs. Talk to type, screen readers, ipad assistive technologies and assistive apps and technology based programs were purchased, maintained and utilised. This improved the ability of students to communicate their knowledge, understanding and learning in a suitable and accessible manner. The LaST position at the school was supplemented one extra day a week to support identified students. Small group instruction was utilised to improve student achievement along with a Multi Lit program that was initiated for two identified students. The Multi Lit daily intervention resulted in both students improving their reading ability by six levels and provided them skills which allowed them to work independently within a classroom setting. Teachers engaged in the North Coast Initiative for School Improvement (NCISI) group where they developed skills in collaborative inquiry and generative dialogue. Through working as part of a collaborative team, teachers were able to identify common challenges, analyse relevant data and test out instructional approaches relevant to Terranora Public School and it's school plan. Aboriginal Background $ English language Proficiency $ Low Level Adjustment for Disability $ Quality Teaching, Successful Students $ Page 7 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

8 Quality Teaching, Successful Students (QTSS) Socio economic background Support for beginning teachers Teacher training was provided in collaborative inquiry practices. Teachers developed skills and attitudes to support each other in reaching professional goals. Teachers have partaken in observations of teaching practice, generative dialogue, feedback and reflection of lessons taught. This feedback and reflection on teaching has allowed staff to improve their planning and teaching to provide for maximum impact on student outcomes. Programs for students included visits to universities and high schools to promote and support goal setting in relation to further education. Students who identified as Aboriginal or students who had no family members whom had attended university, attended a taster day at Griffith University. Students gained an understanding of what university was like through hands on experiences across a variety of faculties. Students attended a hands on careers day at a local High School. Over thirty local community business owners and government agencies including the federal policy, fire brigade, optometrists and local universities attended. Students were able to gain knowledge about possible careers and career paths. Identified students were supported to participate in extra curricular activities that they would otherwise have not been able to experience due to financial hardship. These included: singing in the national choir at the Sydney Opera House; participating at district, regional and state sporting events; PSSA competitions and; school camps and excursions to Canberra and Tallebudgera. Beginning teachers were provided with extra RFFT each week. They worked with a teacher mentor on an identified area of interest. Beginning teacher funds allowed one teacher to be trained in L3 practices. This improved her ability to provide individualised, focused teaching to students in the area of literacy. One beginning teacher joined the North Coast Iniative for School Improvement (NCISI) group where they developed skills in collaborative inquiry and generative dialogue. Through working as part of a professional team the teacher was able to identify common challenges, analyse relevant data and test out instructional approaches. Quality Teaching, Successful Students $ socio economic background $608. Beginning Teachers $ Page 8 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

9 Student information Workforce information Student enrolment profile Enrolments Students Boys Girls Student attendance profile School Year K All Years State DoE Year K All Years Workforce composition Position FTE* Principal 1 Assistant Principal(s) 4 Classroom Teacher(s) Teacher of Reading Recovery 0.71 Learning and Support Teacher(s) 0.6 Teacher Librarian 1 School Administration & Support Staff 3.58 Other Positions 0 *Full Time Equivalent Two staff members at Terranora Public School identify as Indigenous. The staff as a whole is committed to delivering an inclusive program to increase the knowledge and understanding of the histories, cultures and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first peoples of Australia. Teacher qualifications All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Teacher qualifications Qualifications % of staff Undergraduate degree or diploma 100 Postgraduate degree 9 Management of non-attendance Student attendance at Terranora Public School is consistently high. Families are asked to please supply the school with a written explanation following any absence and are required to inform the principal beforehand if extended absences are likely. If a student is regularly absent without significant reason a referral to the Home School Liaison Officer may be made. Page 9 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

10 Professional learning and teacher accreditation Professional Learning Major priorities for teacher professional learning detailed in the School Plan are set out below with an emphasis on syllabus implementation in literacy, numeracy, technology, history and geography, along with mandatory professional learning. Thirty teachers participated in professional learning activities. Training included child protection modules, use of social media, Sentral, teacher performance development plans, CPR, anaphylaxis, e Safety emergency care, state education reforms, collaborative Inquiry and school planning. Four teachers (executive) participated in whole school planning. Three teachers participated in history and geography professional learning. Six teachers participated in technology based professional learning, including 3D printing, EduTech conference and ipad courses. Strategies to build the capacity of the staff to achieve key priorities included: using staff expertise at local and district level; allocating professional reading; providing links to professional networks; using stage meetings to collaboratively share teaching and learning programs and resources; providing regular fortnightly professional learning sessions; accessing available courses to attend in line with school management plan; and peer mentoring. Average expenditure on professional learning at school level (calculated on 30 staff) $ Total school expenditure on whole staff professional learning $ Staff Development Days Attended by 34 teachers and support staff. SDD 1 Code of conduct, child protection, history & geography. SDD 2 Mandatory training, Sentral, use of social media, focusing on Facebook and Skoolbag. SDD 3 & SDD 4 Collaborative Inquiry, CPR update, anaphylaxis and asthma training, school planning, Sentral and 3D printing. Financial information (for schools using OASIS for the whole year) Financial information This summary financial information covers funds for operating costs to 30 November 2016 and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance. Income $ Balance brought forward Global funds Tied funds School & community sources Interest Trust receipts Canteen 0.00 Total income Expenditure Teaching & learning Key learning areas Excursions Extracurricular dissections Library Training & development Tied funds Short term relief Administration & office School-operated canteen 0.00 Utilities Maintenance Trust accounts Capital programs 0.00 Total expenditure Balance carried forward A full copy of the school s financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the parent and/or community groups. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. Page 10 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

11 School performance NAPLAN In the National Assessment Program, the results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10. The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments. Literacy The year three cohort at Terranora Public School achieved above state average across the top three bands in all areas of literacy assessed within NAPLAN. Across the top two bands, students achieved above state average in all areas except spelling, which is an area the school has identified for focus within our 2017 school plan. Year five literacy NAPLAN results showed 52.2% of students made greater than or equal to expected growth in reading and 56.5% of students made greater than or equal to expected growth in spelling. Targeting individual student's learning needs, through recording and evaluating growth for individual students utilising in school assessments, is a priority within the 2017 school plan. Numeracy The year three cohort achieved above state average in the top three bands in all areas of numeracy assessed within NAPLAN. Students achieved above state average in the top two bands for data, measurement, space and geometry. Year five NAPLAN results show 68% of students achieving within the two middle bands for NAPLAN testing. The introduction of a middle years program with targeted programs for mathematics, utilising the numeracy continuum to track and assess individual student needs, has been implemented to support student growth in numeracy. The My School website provides detailed information and data for national literacy and numeracy testing. Click on the link and insert the school name in the Find a school and select GO to access the school data. The Premier's Priorities: Improving education results, is working toward increasing the proportion of NSW students in the top two NAPLAN bands by eight per cent by Data from years 3, 5 & 7 shows that a large percentage of students from Terranora Public School are currently achieving in the middle bands of NAPLAN, 58.2% in numeracy and 52.2% in reading. The school is supporting the government initiative through our school plan which includes school led solutions and strategies to support more students to be able to reach their potential and achieve in the top two NAPLAN bands. These include: the early literacy initiatives of L3 in kindergarten, year one and year two; a middle school program for year five and six students; plotting of all student achievement and progress for reading and numeracy on the literacy and numeracy continuums; targeted support by specialist LaST teachers for identified students; the introduction of the TEN program for numeracy K 2 and; the training of two teacher trainers to support the implementation of the TEN program in years 3 6. Parent/caregiver, student, teacher satisfaction Each year schools are required to seek the opinions of parents, students and teachers about the school. In 2016, the school sought the opinions of parents, students and teachers about our school through the Tell Them From Me Survey. Their responses are presented below: A vast majority of parents (96%) agree that the school encourages students to achieve their best. Overall, parents and students agree (81%) that the school usually or always knows about families and the community in which it serves. Teachers and parents agree (84%) that the school continually finds ways to improve what it does. Teachers overwhelmingly agree that meeting the needs of students is the main priority. Students are overwhelmingly proud of their school. Policy requirements Aboriginal education Terranora Public School received funding to support the development of a project to support Indigenous education. A team of teachers developed an inquiry based geography unit of work titled The Global Garden Project. The unit was delivered to year 4 students. Students and teachers participated in a one day workshop with Uncle Franc at Fingal Headland where they learned how Indigenous peoples utilised the natural environment in their everyday lives. Students Page 11 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)

12 also learned about sustainability and traditional customs. Local Indigenous experts visited the school to share their knowledge about the use of native plants in Indigenous dance and art. Local elders have been a great support to this program and have provided students with invaluable and insightful learning experiences. This year's NAIDOC celebrations included a performance by Lucas Proudfoot and small group activities led by Aunty Maureen. These experiences allowed students to identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' connection to place: including connections with the land, sea, animals and spiritual connections. Through investigation of music, dance, yarns, language terms and symbols led by local Aboriginal people students learned the significance of place to personal well being. Multicultural and anti-racism education Throughout the year students in all classes from kindergarten through to year six have participated in a history curriculum that embeds culturally inclusive classroom and school practices. They have explored cultures and countries different to their own in a way that fosters students understandings of culture, cultural diversity, racism and active citizenship within a democratic, multicultural society. This serves to promote an open and tolerant attitude towards different languages, religions and world views. This year, the school hosted exchange students from Japan, allowing students to gain an insight into another culture. Our Japanese visitors taught students some traditional Japanese songs and shared stories from their culture. Students from Terranora also shared some of our culture with the Japanese students by welcoming then into their homes and hosting a BBQ. Page 12 of 12 Terranora Public School 3189 (2016)